Sheena Bora murder case: Many challenges await Mumbai cops

A Mumbai court on Friday remanded Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of 9X Media founder Indrani Mukherjea who was arrested in connection with her daughter Sheena Bora's murder, in police custody till August 31. Here are the challenges ahead of the Mumbai police as well as a glance at the force's to-do list.

A Mumbai court on Friday remanded Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of 9X Media founder Indrani Mukherjea who was arrested in connection with her daughter Sheena Bora's murder, in police custody till August 31.

Police alleged in the court that Khanna had played an active role in the conspiracy and murder of 24-year-old Sheena and he had to be taken to the spot where she was killed.

Khanna and Mikhail Bora, brother of Sheena, were interrogated by Mumbai police in connection with the April 2012 murder. Mikhail landed in Mumbai from Guwahati earlier in the day and promised to cooperate fully with police in the ongoing probe.

Mikhail had also alleged before the media that he believed that his mother killed his sister and he knew the exact reason of the murder but "will not tell now".

Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria, best known for cracking the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, personally questioned Indrani on Thursday, but sources said she was evasive and even demanded her lawyer be present during the process.

As the web of mystery remains over one of the most sensational murder cases in recent times, police have a tough job in their hands to make a headway. Here are the challenges ahead of the Mumbai police as well as a glance at the force's to-do list.

TO-DO LIST

1. Police will ascertain the exact role of Sanjeev Khanna, and the motive behind his participation in the murder 2. Khanna and Indrani's association will be questioned3. Sanjeev and Indrani’s financial transactions will be vetted4. Police officials will trace witnesses in the case to make it foolproof5. They will try to find out if money from Sheena’s account was siphoned off by Sanjeev and Indrani6. Statements of former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea -- Indrani's husband -- and his relatives will be recorded7. Statements of relatives of Indrani will be recorded to figure out her exact relationship with her daughter Sheena and son Mikhail8. Forensic evidence will be collected from the residence of each of the accused9. DNA samples will be collected to match Sheena’s viscera samples that have been preserved10. Laptops, mobile phones of each of the accused, and that of Sheena will be sent to the forensic laboratory to gather evidence

CHALLENGES

1. No tech support: If the murder had to happen now, police officials would have had CCTV footage, witnesses who would have spotted the car Sheena was abducted in. As the murder is three years old, it will be tough for the Mumbai police to gather any CCTV footage to establish the theory that Sheena was picked up from Bandra.2. Lack of evidence: It will be tough for the police to gather evidence of the material used to strangulate Sheena inside the car. It will also be difficult for the cops to gather forensic evidence from the car because it would have been cleaned many times over.3. Tough to prove Khanna’s involvement: It will be tough to ascertain Sanjeev Khanna’s involvement considering there would be no visible marks on his body if Sheena had struggled or grappled with him in the car.4. No eyewitnesses: It won't be easy for police officials to get eyewitnesses in the case.